J A Phillips Presents Batman And Robin: Dark Knight-Boy Wonder
by J.A.Phillips
Summary: In a city so cruel and corrupt that it took a young boy's parents and didn't care, only one man is there for him. More-or-less a fixfic of All-Star Batman And Robin.
1. Chapter 1

**_DISCLAIMER:_ Batman was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. This fanfic is in many ways an adaption of Frank Miller's All-Star Batman And Robin. I own precisely zilch in this story.**

* * *

 _Dark night._

 _Happy family._

 _Lone criminal._

 _Parents murdered._

 _Orphaned child._

 _Dark Knight._

* * *

Dick Grayson could barely manage to keep his heart from pounding clean out of his chest. This was going to be one of Haley's Circus' biggest shows yet: Amusement Mile, Gotham City. Who knows how many thousands of people in attendance. Dick and his family, the Flying Graysons, performing their signature trapeze act without the safety of a net. And all of it sponsored by billionaire philanthropist, Bruce Wayne.

Without a doubt, this was going to be a night the 12-year-old boy would never forget.

* * *

Bruce Wayne couldn't help but feel a little excited. It's true that, despite the life he lived, both what the public knew about and what they didn't, there wasn't much that made him excited in a legitimately happy and positive way. Still, if there was one thing he still had a love for, it was the circus, and having heard about the Flying Graysons, one of the star acts of Haley's Circus, he knew he was in for one hell of a show.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that this would be a night he'd never forget.

* * *

Dick smiled practically ear-to-ear as he and his family walked out into the spotlight, hearing the roaring cheers of the people all around them. While most kids his age might be a little embarrassed to be seen in near-skintight red, green, and yellow tights, Dick always liked how the costumes made them look like superheroes. He always liked hearing stories of the mighty Superman from Metropolis, and while the supposed Batman of Gotham City sounded a little scary, he couldn't help but find the tales he heard about him amazing and heroic, presuming he even existed.

Getting the signal to begin, Dick's father, John, swung from the bar and flew through the air like a mighty eagle. Growing up, Dick was always in awe of how his father flew, and wanted to look like an eagle soaring through the air too, though his mother, Mary, would always tease that he was more like her little robin. Again, not something that bothered him much...until he found himself on the cusp of being a teenager. NOW it was just slightly beginning to embarrass him.

Soon, his mother took off on the bars as well, and Dick knew it was nearly his time. He grinned as he awaited the moment when he'd take flight...but, in those mere moments, waiting for his parents to swing back for him, his nose caught the scent of something. He'd always had pretty good senses growing up, better even than his parents. As such, he managed to notice long before them, and yet still far too late, the smell of singeing rope. He looked up in horror, just in time to see the rope holding up the bars his parents were on start to come undone, as though they were being eaten through.

He looked to his parents, his eyes filled with terror at what was about to happen. Before he could call out to them, though, they noticed. They noticed because the rope had come apart, and they were now, almost in slow motion, beginning to fall. Now, all three knew what was about to happen, and not one of them could do anything more but stare. Dick stared at his parents, his eyes begging for them not to fall, and John and Mary stared into their son's eyes, their faces going from terror to sadness to an attempt at reassurance for their boy in a matter of a second or two while they fell.

The crowd let out many a gasp and scream of shock and horror as the two trapeze artists hit the floor. Bruce Wayne's eyes immediately felt themselves begin to tear up, something he hadn't done in years, since he was younger even than Dick. However, his eyes then immediately darted upward into the darkness of the lines crisscrossing above, just beneath the roof of the tent, and managed to spot a figure retreat from there, one that very clearly didn't belong there.

Bruce didn't even think twice. Without so much as saying a word to his date that he'd brought to the event, he dashed to the aisle and made the quickest route for his limo. Once inside, he locked the door and quickly slipped out of his clothes, leaving him clad in dark blue and grey tights and cape over a light kevlar armoured bodysuit. He pulled a cowl up and over his face and eyes, assuming his identity of Gotham's Dark Knight, and then slipped out the sunroof. Reaching to his utility belt, he retrieved one of his trademark gadgets: The Batclaw, a magnetic grapple gun, and fired it upward, racing for the top of the tent.

The Batman managed to make it just in time to see the same figure he'd seen before emerge. The man didn't see him just yet, but was about to turn in his direction, meaning he only had one chance at this. Reaching a hand out as he rushed forward, being propelled by the Batclaw, Batman managed to grab the man as he turned, just spotting him before he was hauled into the sky. The two found themselves flung into some nearby trees, crashing through branches before eventually falling and rolling along the ground, Batman making sure to take the blunt of the fall as his suit managed to lessen the impact greatly enough that he was still able to get to his feet and stop the man he'd caught from running away.

"You killed them!" Batman yelled in a deep, threatening tone that few knew Bruce Wayne had in him, gripping the man by his collar and holding him mere inches in front of his face. "WHY?!"

"I-I don't know what you're-!" the man started to lie, just before Batman slammed him back-first against a tree.

"Care to try that again, before I break your neck?!" Batman roared, nearly choking the killer. He was losing control, and he knew it. He'd been working to refine his interrogation method as to put the fear of the devil himself into criminals without getting anyone hurt all that much, but right now, all that refinement was going out the window.

"M-Mr. Haley!" the man groaned. "He wouldn't pay up! It was HIS fault!"

Batman's nostrils flared as he put two and two together. _This man is clearly part of an extortion ring. They'd gone to Mr. Haley to try and get him to pay money for 'protection', and because he didn't pay, that poor boy's been made an or-...THE BOY!_

The Dark Knight felt his blood turn cold as realization hit him. Without a second thought, he headbutted the man in his grip and dropped his now unconscious body to the ground. He then reached to his belt and flipped open the buckle, revealing a series of control switches, and hit one as he raced back toward the tent, hoping he wasn't too late.

* * *

Dick shivered hard as he exited the police car, finding himself in the middle of nowhere. He'd thought they would take him back to the police department for questioning, or something along those lines, but right now, it looked like he was at a construction yard of some sort. Not only that, but a second police car was parked there, with at least five officers standing around, soon joined by the two that had driven him here.

"That him?" one of the officers asked the two leading Dick out.

"...No, Hanson, it's ANOTHER child trapeze artist that just HAPPENED to be there," the driver of the police car that brought Dick here scoffed. "You really ARE a moron, you know that?"

The first officer, Hanson, sighed. "Whatever. Listen, kiddo-"

"You have to listen to me!" Dick suddenly exclaimed. "My parents! They were murdered! Someone put acid or something on the ropes! I could smell it eating through-"

"He's been saying that the whole way here," the cop that had been driving shotgun there interrupted. "I keep telling him he's remembering it wrong. Y'know, trauma and all that."

"No!" Dick shouted, only now beginning to notice the cops forming a circle around him in the darkened lot. "No, I'm telling you, I...Wait, what are you-?"

"Listen, kid," Hanson went on. "The thing is, we feel bad for ya, really. But accusations like that in this city can have...consequences. People might think the police aren't doing their jobs, or that it isn't safe to bring big events like Haley's Circus to this city. And what if you're wrong? Why, people might think you're just a hurt little kid wanting to point fingers just because, sometimes, accidents happen...Sometimes, accidents happen when you least expect them."

Dick's blood practically turned to ice as he suddenly got what this officer was trying to say to him. He looked around, seeing the faces of the officers surrounding him. Some looked legitimately sad, even apologetic. Others had a look of glee on their faces. Whatever each of them were feeling, though, it was clear that these men who dared to call themselves policemen meant to keep him from telling anyone that his parents were murdered, and if he kept talking, they were going to ensure he was silent.

 _Oh God,_ Dick prayed as the officers started to close in around him. _Please...Please, someone, help me!_

As if on cue, the sound of an engine speeding fast enough to light the road on fire roared through the night air, just before the car that had brought Dick to this scene was smashed into and sent crashing a few feet away by a large, black monster of a car. It looked like if a tank and a race car had a child or something. As the cops backed up, a compartment on the front slid open, revealing a turret that shot down the cops one by one with rubber bullets that bounced across the ground after making contact.

"STAY BACK!" Hanson shouted, grabbing Dick and holding a gun to his temple. "Stay the HELL back! I'll kill him! I swear to God!"

"I believe you," a voice whispered from behind the two, just before Hanson went slack from a chop to the back of the neck. Dick backed away and fell on his backside as Hanson's unconscious body crumpled to the ground. The young boy looked up in shock, awe, and fear as a dark, shadowy figure loomed over him. As the figure slowly walked forward and extended a hand, Dick spotted the large, black, bat symbol on his rescuer's chest, and it became all too clear who this was.

"Y-You're..." Dick stammered, his eyes wide as saucers. "...You're the Goddamn Batman!"

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ Welcome to my sort-of fixfic of All-Star Batman And Robin. With that said, I should note that I've made SEVERAL changes in my attempt to make something good out of it. If you don't know, All-Star Batman And Robin is a truly awful tale written by Frank Miller. However, the heart of the story, its meat and bones, had some real potential to it, acting as a modern retelling of Batman and Robin's coming together. If you wanna know more about what went wrong with it, you can go to my blog, Jyger's Rant, and read my article, How To Drop The Ball In Comics: All-Star Batman And Robin, or watch Linkara's reviews of the comic on his review show, Atop The Fourth Wall.

Suffice to say, though, because I had to make so many changes to the story, replacing the unintentionally hilarious dialogue and the subplots that make EVERYONE involved look bad, plus making the characters feel more like who they're supposed to be, I've had to read/watch some additional content. Specially, in addition to ASBAR, I've looked to Detective Comics #38 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Nightwing #0 by Tom DeFalco and Kyle Higgins, The Untold Legend of The Batman #2 by Len Wein, Robin's Reckoning Parts 1 & 2 from Batman The Animated Series, and A Matter Of Family from The Batman for further inspiration. There's one other story in particular that's unrelated to Batman and Robin that helped form ideas for where the story should go, but I'll get to that later.

Anyway, be sure to check out the next chapter of my story, same Bat time, same Bat fanfic. lol Ja né!


	2. Chapter 2

**_DISCLAIMER:_** **Batman was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. This fanfic is in many ways an adaption of Frank Miller's All-Star Batman And Robin. I own precisely zilch in this story.**

* * *

Dick tried his best not to hyperventilate. Still, it was hard. What was supposed to be one of the best nights of his life was now turning into the emotional roller coaster straight to Hell. For the average person his age, seeing one's parents die before their eyes might seem like the thing that would cap off one's night. Instead, he was nearly killed by a group of corrupt cops, and he was currently sitting in the passenger seat of the Batman's car. Up until tonight, he had no idea Batman even existed, much less had a car.

The 12-year-old boy looked over at the Dark Knight as he steered the vehicle through the streets of Gotham City. He'd been relatively quiet for the past few minutes since they got in the car, and even though he was wearing a mask, Dick could tell he looked a bit uncomfortable himself, like he wasn't sure what to do, or that what he was about to do was the right move. It was a strange thing to see out of someone considered by many to be some kind of superhero.

Dick looked down, fidgeting with his seat belt slightly as the car started to enter a more dimly lit area. He was still wearing his Flying Graysons costume. He looked like a neon sign next to the dark and grim Batman. For a split second, he wondered if this made him look overly ridiculous, but that thought was buried under the next, when he realized this would probably be the last time he would ever wear it.

 _Mom...Dad..._ Dick thought, grabbing a handful of his tights and gripping hard. _Why did you have to die? Who killed you? And why did those men try to shut me up?_

Finally, Dick could keep silent no longer, and asked a simple question: "...Back there. Were those really cops?"

Batman's eyes narrowed under the lens of his cowl. "...Hanson, right? Sergeant Hanson?"

"I think they called him Hanson, yeah," Dick responded.

"He's crooked," the Caped Crusader explained. "Him and his team. They work under Comissioner Loeb. He has ties to most of the major crime families in Gotham."

Dick blinked in astonishment. "S-So, the Gotham police are all-?"

"Not all," Batman interjected. "Some are decent and hard-working men and women who do their jobs. But yes, there're just enough bad cops to make a corrupt city worse."

Dick nodded, satisfied with the answers he got...although, one other thing was nagging at him. "...So, um...Never knew the Batman had a Batmobile."

The Dark Knight cocked an eyebrow, looking at the boy like he'd grown a second and third head. "...The 'Batmobile'?"

"O-Okay, what would YOU call it?" Dick defended, despite realizing how stupid a name that sounded. "The Batcrawler? The Tumbler? The Batman's Goddamn Pimp Hand?"

"Watch your mouth, kid," Batman admonished, getting slightly annoyed. "A kid your age shouldn't pick up those kinds of habits. Also, I would NEVER use the term 'pimp hand'. I HATE pimps."

Dick winced slightly, looking away. "Sorry, just...It's been kind of a night..."

Batman sighed, dropping the aggravation. "...That it has. You don't have any other family, do you?"

Dick shook his head sadly. "No. I mean, I have an aunt that lives in Saskatchewan, but...well, I think the last time I saw her was before I started home schooling."

The Dark Knight nodded, refocusing on the road. It was just like he'd suspected: No immediate family beyond his parents, and no relatives to speak of that lived even remotely close by or that he had contact with. Considering the situation, that left him with one option...that he knew, far ahead of time, he was going to regret.

"...So, where are we going?" Dick asked, seeing them start to enter what looked to be a small forest with a dirt road.

"Home," Batman answered.

Before Dick could ask for any sort of elaboration, the car suddenly took a sharp turn left, straight toward a stone hillside. However, instead of hitting said stone and smashing apart, the hill seemed to open for them, revealing a hidden passage. It took them further down through a tunnel before eventually coming to a far more open cavern. The car finally came to a halt, the canopy opening for the occupants.

Dick looked around in amazement as he slowly got up out of his seat. Based on a few of the leather-winged occupants he could see in the rafters, it was clear this was some sort of bat cave. However, there were steel floors all about, leading to various sub-chambers of the cave. Among other things, there was a room full of Bat costumes and bodysuits, a room with walls lined with various forms of gadgetry, a sort of crude-looking medical bay of some kind, a computer room with insane levels of tech and multiple monitors everywhere, and even some kind of trophy room with stuff like a giant penny and a statue of a T-Rex.

"...This is where you live?" Dick asked, unable to hide his wonder as the two climbed out of the car.

"This is where I WORK," Batman corrected, leading Dick toward the computer room. "Although, I DO tend to think of this place as a home away from home."

"SOME people might consider working out of a place with a bit less dust and occasional guano to clean," a British voice declared as an elderly fellow in sharp dress clothes walked up to the two, having been using the computer beforehand. "...I take it we'll be having some additional company for a while?"

"Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth," Batman introduced, leading to the boy shaking the man's hand. "Alfred is...my assistant, I suppose."

"I wasn't aware we were adopting, sir," Alfred remarked, looking to Batman rather sternly.

"Loeb's men tried to silence him about his parents' murders," the Dark Knight explained. "I couldn't risk leaving him at Haley's, and he could be tracked back to an orphanage."

Alfred sighed and nodded hesitantly. "Of course, sir. In the meantime, I'm trying to identify the man you tussled with earlier, but without direct access to the National Criminal database..."

Dick blinked, suddenly getting what Batman meant by bringing him here. "...A-Am I going to have to LIVE here?"

"For a little while," Batman explained, kneeling down to look Dick in the eye. "...I'm sorry, but as soon as whoever is responsible for your loss is behind bars, I'll find you a better home. You have my word."

Dick looked down, unsure as his eyes welled up slightly with tears, but he felt Gotham's masked vigilante place a hand on his shoulder. "I know what you're going through, Dick...I had to watch my parents be killed by a criminal, too."

The young boy's eyes widened in surprise, looking back to Batman's. "Really?"

Batman gave a sad smile. "I know these next few days won't be easy, but I need you to be brave for me, okay?"

Dick's hand trembled slightly as he brought it up to rub his face, but he nonetheless tried to look as stern as he could. "...Yes, sir. I'll be brave."

The Dark Knight nodded and patted Dick on the head before standing back up and looking to his assistant. "Alfred, see about getting our new guest something to eat. Maybe even some warmer clothes?"

"I believe I just might have something in his size, sir," Alfred replied, scratching his chin.

"A-Are you leaving?" Dick guessed.

"Just for a bit," Batman reassured the boy as he headed back toward and climbed into the car. "There's someone I need to speak with, immediately. I won't be gone long."

Without giving anyone a chance to question him any more about this, Batman pressed a button on the car's controls and closed the canopy. Suddenly, the floor that the car was parked on began to turn, facing said vehicle back toward the way out. The engine roared to life before it sped out, back into the night air of Gotham.

Dick looked to Alfred, a bit nervous. "...So, what exactly does he define as 'being gone long'?"

"...Thank Heavens, there's finally someone else in this cave that has a sense of humour," Alfred muttered, sounding rather joyous at this revelation, causing Dick to smile a little in spite of the night's events.

* * *

To say that Lieutenant James Gordon, or Jim as he preferred to be called, was having a terrible day, would be an understatement. Really, nowadays, it felt like he was having a terrible life, as if someone upstairs decided he was the person they would pick on on a regular basis. His marriage was all but over, albeit that was his own fault, as he himself would admit to. He was working under a corrupt police commissioner, trying desperately to be a good cop for the people of Gotham. And now, he'd just gotten word of the events that had gone down at Amusement Mile, or at least one man's version of events. He knew well enough that he'd be getting the other side soon enough.

"Hey, Dad!" a young, enthusiastic voice called.

Jim looked up from the table to the front door to see his daughter, Barbara, come in, wearing a rather wet-looking raincoat. "Started raining again?"

"Go figure, huh?" Barbara, or Babs as she insisted her friends and loved ones called her, replied. "What IS it about this city and its constant rainfall? It's a wonder it doesn't just float away."

"That'd probably be an improvement," Jim half-snarked. "How was school?"

"Boring," Babs admitted, taking her coat off. "Except I've apparently been approached to help tutor an exchange student, Cassandra something. How about you? Anything interesting happen tonight?"

Jim sighed, wishing that, for once, his daughter wouldn't take an interest in his work. "...There was an accident at Amusement Mile. A pair of trapeze artists were in the middle of a show with their son, and their line snapped."

Barbara's eyes immediately widened, coming to sit down. "...And we're SURE this was an accident?"

"That's what the official report says," Jim replied, his tone of voice making it clear he didn't believe it. "Hanson says they were taking the boy someplace safe for the night, but they were...intercepted. Says the boy was kidnapped by Gotham's masked vigilante."

"The Batman?" Babs asked. "Why would he kidnap a child?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Jim lied, patting his shirt pocket. "I, uh...I need to get some air. You have homework?"

Barbara's eyes narrowed, her voice turning deadpan. "...Oh yeah, tons. If you don't see me tonight, it's because I've had to barricade my door and shut off everything electronic in my room so I can't be distracted from the MOUNTAINS of homework those sadistic teachers piled onto me."

Jim rolled his eyes, getting up from the table and giving his daughter a quick kiss on the forehead before heading out to the back porch. She was so much like her mother, and yet so different. Both could be energetic and multiple steps ahead of everyone else in the room when they wanted to be, and sometimes even by accident, and yet it seemed like Babs was more stubborn, sarcastic, had an awareness of the world around her, what was real and what wasn't, and possessing that feeling of wanting to show the world what it COULD be, what it SHOULD be. He couldn't help but wonder where she got that from.

Closing the door behind him, Jim stood out on the porch, sheltered by the upstairs porch from the rain. He took out a cigarette and lit it up, taking a puff from it. He knew if his soon-to-be-ex-wife saw him doing this, he'd get a good smack, and he knew it was bad for him, but right now, he needed it. Badly. Just something, anything, to cope. Really, the only reason he didn't go to a bar was because even he wasn't THAT dumb as to not know how that could end badly for him in a city like Gotham.

Hearing a small rustling sound just a few feet behind him, he let out a long sigh, leaning his elbows on the wooden frame before him. "...Cold, rainy night. Gotta be the seventh or eighth one in a row. But then, you've probably seen more than I have."

"You heard what happened?" the Dark Knight asked, cutting to the chase as he emerged from the shadows.

"Amusement Mile," Jim replied. "The trapeze artists. Dick Grayson, age 12. I got the cliff-notes, or at least Hanson's version. It wasn't an accident, was it?"

"I intercepted the killer on his way out," Batman explained. "I had an anonymous call sent to the GCPD to have him picked up, but...Well, we'll see."

"And the boy?" James inquired.

"Hanson and his men were going to try to keep him quiet about what he saw," Batman went on. "He knew the lines were snapped via some kind of acid. I've already been back to the scene of the crime and taken a sample of the substance. Should have results soon."

"...I meant, where did you take him?" Jim asked, sounding slightly annoyed. "I'm not an idiot, y'know."

The Caped Crusader didn't answer at first, making Jim wonder what the problem was for a moment before he finally said, "Protective custody. I can't risk taking him to an orphanage, and he said he didn't have any other family he could stay with."

"You realize this is technically kidnapping, right?" James pointed out, albeit making it clear he wasn't trying to be accusatory.

"I won't let anything happen to the boy, Jim," Batman promised. "...I can't. He's been through enough."

"Something you identify with," Jim noted, getting a surprised glance from the Dark Knight. "...It doesn't take a genius to know you must be inspired to do what you do by some past trauma. Again, not an idiot, I just know well enough not to ask."

Batman nodded slowly. "...I need to know if there have been any arrests tonight since the murder."

"I'll check in with Montoya, see what I can find out," Jim replied, glancing down as he dug into his pants pocket to get his cell phone. "I assume that line of yours is still-"

Jim stopped and sighed as he looked back up, seeing himself alone on the porch. "...secure. Right."

Meanwhile, just upstairs from him, Babs, having overheard everything, immediately locked her door and went to her computer. She quickly pulled up a screen with a green mask on it and put a headset on, knowing full well that this was going to be a long night as she began the process of hacking into the National Criminal database.

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ Yeah, not a lot going on here, except to establish more of the supporting cast, and their character traits within this story. Like I said, I'm trying to make these characters a bit closer to how they're actually supposed to be. Y'know, LIKABLE. lol Also, as you can probably tell from that last paragraph, I've kinda made an important change to Barbara, namely how her career and association with Batman started. Readers of the comics probably know that Babs started as Batgirl, but then became Oracle, a super-awesome computer hacker, after she was put in a wheelchair. Here, though, I decided to have her start off as Oracle instead.

Anyway, not much else to say except to assure you that more important stuff will happen next chapter, I promise. lol Ja né!


	3. Chapter 3

**_DISCLAIMER:_** **Batman was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. This fanfic is in many ways an adaption of Frank Miller's All-Star Batman And Robin. I own precisely zilch in this story.**

* * *

The Dark Knight watched from a perch overlooking most of downtown Gotham City. The rain continued to beat down on him, but fortunately, everything important about his suit was completely waterproof. Still, on nights like tonight, he wondered if that was going to be taken to the test. It seemed like at least 89% of all nights in Gotham resulted in rain, except when it was winter, in which case, it'd be snowing just as much. Point being, precipitation was not an uncommon thing in Gotham City by any stretch of the imagination.

Despite having the reputation of being a loner, Batman actually wasn't all that fond of not having anyone to talk to at night. Having Alfred in his ear usually helped to keep him grounded, what with the older man's witty banter oftentimes balancing out the otherwise dire nights. But, he was having to go without for much of tonight. Worse, not having Alfred in his ear just reminded him why: That he was tending to their new guest in the cave. And all THAT did was serve to depress him.

Despite only having just taken up the cowl less than two years ago, it already felt like Batman had been at this forever. Maybe it was just the culmination of it all: The training, the preparation, the countless nights of him dreaming (having nightmares, really) of when he'd be ready to put on the costume, and now, finally being out here, doing what he'd planned to do practically from the day his innocence was shattered.

 _Mother...Father..._ Bruce thought to himself, his eyes shut as he was deep in thought. _I'm sorry. I swore I'd do my best to ensure there could be a world where no child would ever go through what I did, and yet..._

"Sir?" Alfred's voice sounded through the comm in Batman's cowl, interrupting his thoughts. "I've just gotten word from Lieutenant Gordon. There were no registered arrests during the points in time you specified, which means the murderer either wasn't picked up, or..."

"Or his arrest wasn't put on any sort of record," Batman finished with a sigh. "Was worth a try. I suppose I'll just have to do this the hard way, then."

Before Batman could put that into motion, however, another voice, one masked by a voice filter, came through. "Batman, do you hear me?"

Bruce's eyes widened in surprise. "..Who is this? How are you-"

"Call me Oracle," the voice replied quickly, just as the image of a green mask appeared over his lens, along with a window revealing a download of information. "I know everything about what you're doing tonight, and I wanna help. I'm sending you data from the National Criminal database. You should be able to use the information there to find the man responsible for the Grayson killings."

"You hacked the National Criminal database?" the Caped Crusader inquired, stunned. "Just who the hell are you, anyway?"

"A friend," Oracle answered. "I wish I could say more. I just hope this information is enough to bring this man to justice. Oracle out."

Batman opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off as the line went dead. "...Alfred, the data?"

"I have it right here, sir," Alfred replied, likewise sounding amazed.

"Go through all the individuals listed with ties to protection rackets in Gotham and cross-reference their photos with the image of the killer from earlier tonight," Batman ordered, stepping off the perch and going into a dive before grabbing hold of the sides of his cape, extending it into bat-like wings to glide on.

"Right away, sir," Alfred responded as Batman glided through the night sky, making his way to the alley where he'd parked his car. "...There. I believe I have a match."

"Good work," Batman commended, softly touching down next to the car and opening the canopy, getting in. "Upload it to the Batmobile's screen."

"...The what, sir?" Alfred asked, sounding a bit amused as Bruce felt the need to facepalm, realizing he'd just adopted Dick's name for his car.

"N-Nevermind," Batman groaned, just as the screen in the car showed an image of the man he'd fought earlier, which he'd saved via his lens, next to an image from the database, along with all relevant information. "...Tony Zucco. His family were mob bosses, usually involved in protection rackets. But it looks like they were all shut down."

"It says here that Zucco's father died in prison," Alfred went on, "and most of his assets were split up. So then, how could his son still be running the 'family business', as it were?"

"He must be getting help," the Dark Knight surmised, starting up the Batmobile. "I'll know more after I've had a conversation with him."

"But sir, how will you know where to find him?" Alfred inquired. "It doesn't list any recent addresses for him in the database."

"There's one man who keeps tabs on nearly every single criminal in Gotham City," Batman answered, driving the car out of the alley. "Edward Nygma."

"The Riddler," Alfred sighed. "And you're sure he'll co-operate?"

"He's an information broker, willing to give up what he knows to the highest bidder," Bruce replied, letting himself smirk a bit as he sped along the streets of Gotham. "I'll just have to make him an offer he can't refuse."

* * *

Dick let out a sigh, laying back on the cot Mr. Pennyworth had set up for him. He'd even gotten him some nice, comfy pajamas, and made him a cheeseburger with some fries. He had to admit, Alfred was a pretty nice guy. It was no small wonder Batman would trust in someone like him. It was almost as if the guy lived for servitude.

Upon thinking this, a thought suddenly hit Dick. _...I wonder if these are Batman's PJ's from when HE was a kid? Those two DO seem like two guys that have known each other for a LONG time...Man, I wonder what Batman was like as a kid?_

"...Tony Zucco," he heard the Dark Knight say over the comm channel he had set up with Alfred in the next room. "His family were mob bosses, usually involved in protection rackets. But it looks like they were all shut down."

Dick's eyes lit up slightly as he rolled off the cot. Hearing Batman say this, he realized that he must have found the killer's name. Unable to help himself, Dick tip-toed out of the room that had been set up for him and into the computer room, seeing the picture of the man on the screen: Tony Zucco. However, while he expected seeing his parents' killer would maybe make him angry, one look at his face made Dick's blood turn ice cold, nearly frozen. He couldn't even hear Batman and Alfred talking anymore. All he could do was stare at that screen for what felt like minutes on end.

"...Master Dick?" Alfred called, walking over to the boy and snapping his fingers in his face. "Dick! Are you alright?"

"...Th-That guy...!" Dick stammered, his eyes still wide enough that they looked like they might fall out.

Alfred sighed, nodding slowly. "...Yes. We think he might've been the killer. Batman's looking for-"

"I saw him," Dick muttered, taking a step back and leaning against the wall. "...He was talking to Mr. Haley a couple of days ago. They didn't look happy. I've never seen Mr. Haley so upset. And then, just a few minutes before curtain, I saw him near the tent. I knew he didn't belong there, but I-"

Dick's face went pale as tears started to well up in his eyes, his hands clutching the sides of his head. "...Oh no! It's all my fault! If I'd just said something-!"

Alfred frowned sadly. "Master Dick, you can't blame yourself. There probably wasn't anything you could've done."

"But I didn't even try!" Dick yelled, tears streaming down his face far more freely now. "Mom and Dad are dead, and I didn't even try to save them!"

Unable to hold himself up anymore, Dick fell to his knees on the cold steel, sobbing into his hands as they clutched hard to his face. Alfred exhaled hard, kneeling down and taking the boy in a somewhat awkward yet comforting hug, trying his best to help him ride out his storm of emotions...It was something he'd become far too good at, once upon a time, and had hoped would never be put into practice again.

* * *

In an abandoned printing press in Old Gotham, where they used to print crossword puzzles and the like, Edward Nygma, AKA The Riddler, sat back in his chair and looked upon his computer screen with satisfaction, spinning his trademark question mark cane between his palm and the floor. He'd just managed to obtain quite the acquisition: Several of Commissioner Loeb's most prized and well-kept secrets from the past couple of years. Now, they were his to do with as he pleased. It was days like these that made him most glad to be alive.

It was really no wonder, then, that he barely noticed any sort of presence in his room until said presence yanked on the collar of his green coat, pulling him out of his chair. "What the-?!"

"Hello, Nygma," the intruder, none other than Batman, said coldly.

The Riddler put on a small grin, albeit a nervous one, as he adjusted his tie. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Gotham City's own bruised-knuckled, bat-fixated bully of bandits, black-marketeers, and all-around bad men."

"I thought we should have ourselves a little talk," the Dark Knight commented, kicking the balcony window open and dangling Edward over the ledge. "You have information I want."

"I don't just GIVE information away, especially to the likes of you, Batman!" Nygma yelled. "Now put me down!"

"If you insist," Batman replied, letting go of Nygma, causing him to let out an almost girlish scream as he plummeted, only to come to a stop as a line Batman had connected to his coat held him in place.

"OKAY!" Edward screamed, his hat falling off his head to the concrete below. "OKAY! WHATEVER YOU NEED!"

The Dark Knight grabbed hold of the line and pulled the Riddler back up, holding him upside down by the leg as he pulled the line free and looked Nygma in the eye. "Tony Zucco. I want everything you have on him: Addresses, where he goes to drink, what his favourite restaurants are, EVERYTHING."

"Zucco? Why do you want that heinous has-been? He's barely even a blip on my-" Edward started to ask before being jolted, like Batman was about to release him. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! I'll give you what you want, but it's not much, I swear!"

The Dark Knight scowled, but nonetheless tossed Riddler back onto the floor in front of his computer. With a groan, Nygma got back into his chair and brought up the files he had on Zucco, taking as little time as possible in downloading the information onto an SD card as Batman loomed over him. Once the files were transferred, he pulled the SD card free and handed it to his assailant.

"I presume this will suffice?" Nygma inquired before Batman took the card. "Now, if you'll kindly remove yourself from my office, so I might return to work?"

"Your work is illegal, and you know it," Batman scoffed, turning away.

"And yours isn't?" Riddler retorted. "Besides, there's not a chance in the world that you would be able to make a single charge stick against me."

Batman peered back over his shoulder with a smirk. "I wouldn't be too sure of that, Nygma. Commissioner Loeb might not be one of my favourite people, but I'm sure he'd be interested to know just how many kick-backs he's taken that you have information on."

Edward's jaw dropped in stunned anger. "How did you know I had information on his kick-backs?!"

"You just told me," the Caped Crusader replied before leaping out of the window.

Edward fumed in his chair, knowing not to even bother looking out the window. Batman was likely long gone. Instead, he dug into his pocket and grabbed a cell phone, quickly dialing up a number he had memorized in case of emergencies.

"...Dent?" Riddler asked. "It's Nygma. I have a favour I'd like to call in."

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ So yeah, like I've been saying on my blog, because there's a lot from the original comics that I had to drop, I decided to involve some more of Batman's rogues gallery in this story. Specifically, Riddler seemed like a good call because he's a popular character, and under his persona where he keeps tabs on everyone in Gotham that he can, it made sense for him to be involved in Batman's attempts at hunting Zucco down.

As for Zucco, well, in ASBAR, Zucco was replaced by someone named Jocko-Boy Vanzetti. However, I decided to revert back to Zucco, only making him a lot more small-time. As for why...well, anyone who has read the original comics by Frank Miller that this story is based off of knows that he decided to go with a bit of a twist for the story of who killed the Graysons.

And yes, I know that Alfred making Dick a cheeseburger is probably a little weird, but he got him one in ASBAR, and I still like to make references to what happened there from time to time, so here we are. lol

Anyway, be sure to check out the next chapter as the hunt for Zucco continues. Ja né!


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